Editor's Letter

| THE EDITOR’S LETTER

The Unleashed Voice Magazine Editorial

By Gwendolyn D. Clemons

MY PAIN MADE ME CHANGE!

Gwendolyn D. Clemons, Editor-in- Chief

remember standing in one of my

I many groups, speaking to my clients about applying life skills in order to achieve the results they were seeking. I was intimately sharing my struggles and being transparent about my determination to turn my life around. Suddenly, one of my clients raised his hands and asked, “Mrs. Clemons what made you change?” I answered without hesitation or reservation: “My pain. My pain made me change!” At that moment, through this simple slogan, I felt an intuitive grasp of reality. Realizing that the reason I had finally been able to change my life for the better was because I had become so tired of living in pain, has since birthed the slogan for our new apparel line!

This client session happened in 2017. Initially I posted this quote as an affirmation on a wall in my home, along with the hundreds of others that my wife and I have written to ourselves. Day after day, I would read the many notes on our wall, but there was something about, “My Pain Made Me Change.”

Fortunately for me, I understand the power of faith, prayer, and acting upon the many visions God provides for our lives. I practice turning off the negative chatter so I can allow the positive chatter to serve its highest purpose to elevate me. And this time, what it revealed to me was that our business slogan had been sitting in my face for the last year. What had once merely served as a wall of inspiration now underlies the slogan that, “We believe affirmations are meant to be worn.” And with that, our collection of affirmations have jumped from our home onto our apparel wear. We are, in theory, “Unleashing” the power of thought and intention that has served us in offering healing to others.

Aside from building a multi-level business, we are using our passion to develop our gifts and share our purpose with the world. As a black-owned business in Memphis, TN it is important to show the disenfranchised that they can make it. I believe we sometimes allow the notion of the impossible to hijack our

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purpose. If you can learn to imagine the possibilities and act upon your visions, then you will begin to witness the power of being “Unleashed!”

Our 3rd year anniversary World AIDS Day issue is an example of what possibility looks like. Mo’Nique is on the cover of The Unleashed Voice Magazine, wearing our signature “My Pain Made Me Change” apparel. The photoshoot video went viral on social media -- I mean, you literally cannot make this type of story up!

Never let anyone tell you what you can’t do or have. As the famous TUV slogan goes, #IAmUnleashed to inspire, to achieve, to rise above mediocrity, to help others, to LIVE! See you at the top because it’s crowded at the bottom!

TUV gives special credit to Traci Sandidge of Signature T’s, and Kelvin Woods of The Tee Shirt Lab, for your excellent printing service!

Merriam Webster Dictionary defines “Unleash(ed)” as: TO ALLOW OR CAUSE SOMETHING POWERFUL TO HAPPEN SUDDENLY.